
Class r a. t J 

Book , L G? C ^ ^ 
Copyright N"- 



CCPiHlGHT DEPOSIT. 



By Oliver Wendell Holmes. 

Slowly the mist o'er the meadow w^as creeping, 

Bright on the dewy buds glistened the sun. 
When from his couch, while his children were 
sleeping. 
Rose the bold rebel and shouldered his gun. 
Waving her golden veil 
Over the silent dale. 
Blithe looked the morning on cottage and spire; 
Hushed 'was his parting sigh. 
While from his noble eye 
Flashed the last sparkle of liberty's fire. 

On the smooth green where the fresh leaf is 
springing 
Calmly the first=born of glory have met; 
Hark! the death=volley around them is ringing! 
Look! with their life=blood the young grass 
is w^et ! 

Faint is the feeble breath. 
Murmuring low in death, 
" Tell to our sons how their fathers have died ;" 
Nerveless the iron hand. 
Raised for its native land. 
Lies by the weapon that gleams at its side. 

Over the hillsides the wild knell is tolling. 
From their far hamlets the yeomanry come ; 

As through the storm-clouds the thunder^burst 
rolling. 
Circles the beat of the mustering drum. 



* Printed herein by special arrangement with the authorized 
publishers, Houghton, Mifflin Company. 



Fast on the soldier's path 
Darken the waves of wrath, — 
Long have they gathered and loud shall they 
fall; 

Red glares the musket's flash. 
Sharp rings the rifle's crash, 
Blazing and clanging from thicket and wall. 

Gayly the plume of the horseman was dancing, 

Never to shadow his cold brow again ; 
Proudly at morning the war=steed was prancing. 
Reeking and panting he droops on the rein ; 
Pale is the lip of scorn. 
Voiceless the trumpet horn. 
Torn is the silken=fringed red cross on high ; 
Many a belted breast 
Low on the turf shall rest 
Ere the dark hunters the herd have passed by. 

Snow=girdled crags where the hoarse wind is 
raving. 
Rocks where the weary floods murmur and 
wail. 
Wilds where the fern by the furrow is waving. 
Reeled with the echoes that rode on the gale ; 
Far as the tempest thrills 
Over the darkened hills. 
Far as the sunshine streams over the plain. 
Roused by the tyrant band. 
Woke all the mighty land. 
Girded for battle, from mountain to main. 

Green be the graves where her martyrs are 
lying! 
Shroudless and tombless they sunk to their 
rest. 



While o'er their ashes the starry fold flying 
Wraps the proud eagle they roused from his 
nest. 

Borne on her Northern pine. 
Long o'er the foaming brine 
Spread her broad banner to storm and to sun ; 
Heaven keep her ever free. 
Wide as o'er land and sea 
Floats the fair emblem her heroes have won 



2jittC0ln. 

PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S OPINION OF HOLMES'S 
POEM ENTITLED "LEXINGTON."* 

" One of Lincoln's favorite poems was Holmes's 
* Last-Leaf ' ; and one November day we were driving 
out to the Soldier's Home, near Washington, when the 
aspect of the scene recalled the lines to his mind. He 
slowly and with excellent judgment recited the whole 
poem. Enlarging upon the pathos, wit, and humor of 
Holmes, I found that the President had never seen a 
copy of the genial doctor's works, so far as he could 
remember, although he was not certain that he had not. 
I offered to lend him my copy of the poems, a little blue- 
and-gold book ; and the next time I went to the White 
House I took it with me. About a week after leaving 
the book with the President, I called at the house one 
evening, and, finding him alone, we settled down for a 
quiet chat. He took from a drawer in his table the blue- 
and-gold Holmes, and went over the book with much 
gusto, reading or reciting several poems that had struck 

* Extract from an article in The Century Magazine of January, 
1895, entitled, " Glimpses of lyincoln in War Time," by Noah 
Brooks. Reprinted here by special permission of The Century Co. 



his fancy. He expressed his surprise at finding that 
some of the verses which he admired most had been 
drifting about in the newspapers without the name of 
the author attached to them ; and it was in this way, he 
said, that he had found ' The Last-Leaf,' ahhough he 
did know that Dr. Holmes was the author. Finally he 
said that he liked ' Lexington ' as well as anything in 
the book, ' The Last Leaf ' alone excepted, and he began 
to read the poem ; but when he came to the stanza be- 
ginning 

Green be the graves where her martyrs are lying ! 
Shroudless and tombless they sunk to their rest, — 

his voice faltered, and he gave me the book with the 
whispered request, 'You read it; I can't.' Months 
afterward, when several ladies were in the Red Parlor 
one evening, calling upon Mrs. Lincoln, he recited 
that poem without missing a word, so far as I could 
remember it. And yet I do not believe that he ever 
saw the text of ' Lexington ' except during the few 
busy days when he had my book." 



BOSTON : 
L. COBURN & CO. 
PRINTERS 



THE 



BATTLE 



ON 



LEXINGTON COMMON, 

APRIL 19, 1775. 



CONSISTING OF AN ACCOUNT OF THAT ACTION, NOW 
FIRST PUBLISHED. AND A REPRINT OF MY LECTURE 
ENTITLED " FICTION AND TRUTH ABOUT THE BATTLE 
ON LEXINGTON COMMON." PUBLISHED IN 1918. 



A COMPLETE ROSTER OF CAPTAIN JOHN PARKER'S COM- 
PANY ; A LIST OF THE SEVENTY-SEVEN MEN WHO 
WERE WITH HIM THAT MORNING ; AND A LIST OF THE 
EIGHT MEN WHO ARE KNOWN TO HAVE RETURNED 
THE BRITISH FIRE. 



BY FRANK WARREN COBURN. 



LEXINGTON. MASS., U. S. A. 

PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR 

1921 






COPYRIGHT 

1921, 

BY PRANK WARREN COBURN 



This edition consists of copies, this one No. 

0)CI.A611604 



sS> 



L 



DEDICATION 

TO MV WIFE 

HATTIE JANE COBURN, 

AND SON, 

CHARLES I^YMAN COBURN. 



PREFACE. 

This is not a history of the entire battle of 
April 19, 1775, for that extended over more 
than thirty miles of highway, from Lexington 
up to Concord, and back to Bunker Hill in 
Charlestown. The interested reader is referred 
to my larger work covering all, first pub- 
lished in 1912, now out of print, but to be 
found in quite a few public libraries. The 
opening contest was on Lexington Common, 
less than a half hour in time, and a little before 
sunrise. It was the real beginning of the 
American Revolution, and as such is of suflScient 
importance to merit an especial consideration. 

I am glad to be able to publish a com- 
plete roster of Captain Parker's Company ; of 
those who stood with him on that morning : 
and of the eight who returned the British fire. 
Up to this time no one has named so many as 
belonging to his Company on that day ; nor 
until last year has any one attempted to give 
to the student in American history a list of 
those who were with him before sunrise on 
that April morning, and participated with him 
in that first little battle. I prepared such a 



6 PREFACE 

list, which was published in The Boston Daily 
Globe, April 19, 1920, and because of the ac- 
cidental omission of one name, was repeated 
with the correction, in The Boston Sunday 
Globe of May 9, 1920. The list of eight who 
returned the British fire first appeared in my 
paper entitled " Fiction and Truth About the 
Battle on Lexington Common, April 19, 1775,'' 
read before the Lexington Historical Society on 
Dec. 12, 1916. That was published in book 
form in 1918, and appears again herein, for 
convenient reference in establishins: the outlines 
for this little sketch. 

It has been rather difficult to assemble these 
names. lam of course not positive that I have 
them all, and will gladly welcome any correc- 
tion or addition, that this roster may sometime 
be complete. I am inclined to believe, how- 
ever, that no more can be added. 

Of the illustrations I offer numbers one to 
nine and number thirteen as of more or less 
historical value, and the others as interesting 
specimens of the imaginative kind, frequently 
used in historical writings. As " studies " they 
may entertain the reader. 

I am indebted to the Lexington Historical 
Society for the privilege of reproducing num- 



PREFACE 7 

bers two, three, four, five, seven, and nine, 
and gratefully record herein my thanks. 

Frank Warren Coburn. 
Lexington^ Mass.^ April ig^ ig2i. 



CONTENTS. 

Lexington. Poem by Holmes . Front 
President Lincoln on Holmes's Poem. Front 
Preface ...... 5 

Contents ...... 9 

Illustrations ..... 9 

The Battle on Lexington Common . 13 
Complete Roster of Captain John 

Parker's Company . . .31 

Parker's Men on the Common . . 33 
The Eight Men Who Returned the 

British Fire . . . . .34 
" Fiction and Truth About the 

Battle on Lexington Common " . [41] 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 

1. The Battle of Lexington Frontispiece 

From an orisinal copper-plate engraving by Amos Doolittle, 
published by James I<ockwood, New Haven, Conn., in 1775, and 
owned by the late Chas. W. Swan of Lexington. The drawing was 
by Mr. Earl. 

2. BucKMAN Tavern. Jonathan Harring- 
ton House. Hancock-Clarke House. 
Monroe Tavern. . . . .14 

From Hudson's History of Lexington, revised edition, published 
by the Lexington Historical Society, in 1913. Two volumes, royal 
8vo, cloth. Vol. 1, History; Vol. 2, Genealogies. Price, $10,00. 

3. Paul Revere. William Dawes . 1(> 

From Hudson's History of Lexington. 



10 illustrations 

4. Sergt. William Munroe. Jonathan 
Harrington. Boulder Marking the 
Line of the Minute Men. . .18 

Prom Hudson's History of Lexington. 

5. Major John Pitcairn . . .20 

From a miniature owned by the Lexington Historical Society. 

6. "A View of the Green in Lexington 
WHERE the British Troops first fir'd 
ON the Americans in 1775." . . 22 - 

From a copper-plate engraving by S. Hill in The Massachusetts 
Magazine, published in 1795. 

7. Battle of Lexington, by Pendleton, 
lithograph about 1834 ; by Doolittle, 
copper-plate, 1775 ; by Sandham, oil 
painting, 1886, owned by the Lexington 
Historical Society, now hanging in the 
Town Hall at Lexington, on canvas, 6x10 
feet 24 

From Hudson's History of Lexington. 

8. The Death of Jonas Parker. " I will 
never 7-un.'" . . . . .26 

From a sketch by B. F. C. 

9. Deposition of Captain John Parker. 
In ''Fiction and Truth," etc. Frontispiece ' 

From Hudson's History of Lexington. 

10. Battle of Lexington 

In " Fiction and Truth" etc. . . 8 

By John S. Davis. Originally published in " The Aldine," 
Vol. VII. 1874-5. 

11. Battle of Lexington 

In" Fiction and Truth," etc. . . 16 *^ 

From a wall map called Phelps & Ensign's Travellers' Guide and 
Map of the U. S. N. Y. Phelps & Ensign, 1842. Engraved on steel 
by J. Wells 



ILLUSTRATIONS 11 

12. JOURNEE DE LEXINGTON 

In ''Fiction and Truth," etc. . . 24 " 

DessinS et Grav6 par F. Godefray. A Paris chez Mr. Godefray. 
Without publication date, but evidently soon after the end of the war. 

13. Gen. Thomas Gage 

In " Fiction and Truth," etc. . . 32 "^ 

From a lithograph portrait in " A History of East Boston," by 
William H. Sumner, Boston. 1858, and which was copied from the 
original portrait presented by Admiral Sir Wm. Hall Gage, son of 
Gen. Gage. 

14. Battle of Lexington 

In " Fiction and Truth," etc. . . 40 

Painted by Alonzo Chappel. Engraved by James Smillie. Pub- 
lished by Martin Johnson & Co. N. Y., 1856. 

15. Battle of Lexington 

In " Fiction and Truth," etc. . . 48 - 

Designed, drawn and engraved by J. Baker, N. Y., published by 
Humphrey Phelps, 1832. 

16. Battle of Lexington 

In " Fiction and Truth," etc. . . 56 < 

Drawn by E. Tisdale ; engraved by C. Tiebout, in 1797. 



THE BATTLE ON LEXINGTON 
COMMON. 

It is a little after midnight on the morning of 
the 19th of April in the year 1775. The air ia 
cool and bracing, and the waning moon shines 
brightly from the eastern sky down upon 
Lexington Common, revealing groups of ex- 
cited men here and there. Others are seen 
passing in and out of Buckman Tavern, from 
many of the windows of which gleam the modest 
tallow candles. 

As the moments pass, other men come in 
from the Boston Road ; from the Concord 
Road ; and from the Bedford Road ; some un- 
armed, but many of them with their guns. 

What does it all mean? 

On the previous afternoon, before sundown, 
Solomon Brown, a fellow townsman, had 
brought the news of ten mounted British 
officers on their way out from Boston toward 
Lexington. He had been to Boston and had 
passed them on his way home, and for a more 
careful estimate of their purpose, fell behind, 
then rode ahead and re-passed them several 
times. Their top coats were closely muffled. 



14 BATTLE ON 

evidently to hide their uniforms, which, how- 
ever, the wind occasionally revealed to him. 

Brown thought there were too many of them 
to be riding away from Army Headquarters 
in Boston at so late an hour in the afternoon, 
if on an innocent and commonplace pleasure ex- 
cursion. Finally he rode ahead once more and 
left them, stopped at Sergeant Munroe's Tavern, 
and reported to that officer his suspicions. 
Munroe, too, was mentally disturbed, and im- 
mediately communicated his anxiety to some of 
the Minute Men, who in turn notified others 
farther away. 

Their first thought was for the safety of 
John Hancock, President of the Provincial Con- 
gress, and of Samuel Adams, both of whom 
were stopping at the Parsonage on the North 
Road, a little way from the Common. Ten 
mounted officers ordinarily were enough to 
easily abduct two civilians. It was feared that 
such was their object on their return. Accord- 
ingly Munroe proceeded to the Common, des- 
patched a messenger to his Captain, John 
Parker, selected three scouts, Solomon Brown, 
Jonathan Loring, and Elijah Sanderson, to 
follow after them. They had then disappeared 
up the Concord Koad and over Concord Hill 



LEXINGTON COMMON 15 

Next he ordered eight men for guard duty at 
the Parsonage, and one to go down the Boston 
Road to watch for any additional force of an 
enemy that might be on their way to Lexington. 

Now, at a little after midnight, there are at 
least forty Minute Men on the Common. They 
are alert, anxious and determined. 

Hoof-beats down the Boston Road are heard, 
faintly at first, now louder and louder ; and 
now dimly is seen the shadowy outline of a 
single horseman galloping toward them. Soon 
he reins in at the Tavern, and excited men 
gather about him to listen to his one sentence 
of alarm : — 

" The British are coming out; to artns, to 
arms ! " 

Away he rides up the North Road to the 
Parsonage, but not before he is recognized as 
Paul Revere, whose mission is to alarm the 
country, and incidentally to warn Hancock and 
Adams, who he knows are especially wanted 
as enemies of the King. He has come from 
Boston and Charlestown, and Medford and 
Menotomy. 

Half an hour later comes William Dawes, 
another messenger, over a longer route, 



16 BATTLE ON 

through Roxbury, Brighton and Cambridge, 
with the same great tidings : — 

" The British are coming out ; to arms, to 
arms ! " 

Such is the midnight alarm in Lexington. 

As Revere and Dawes leave the Parsonage 
they are joined by Dr. Samuel Prescott, of Con- 
cord, who happens to be visiting in Lexington 
this evening. His proffered service as guide 
to Concord is gladly accepted, for he knows the 
road and the homes to be alarmed along the 
way. The three ride together until less than a 
mile into Lincoln, the one town between 
Lexington and Concord, when they are halted 
by the ten British officers. Prescott escapes by 
jumping his horse over the wall and riding 
down into the valley, where rise the head 
waters of the Shawsheen River, and eventually 
reaches Concord. Dawes escapes, disappearing 
back toward Lexington. Revere is a prisoner, 
and with other prisoners, is taken back to 
within hearing of the wild reveille on Lexington 
Common. The British officers, also hearing, 
are in turn alarmed, release their prisoners, 
and hastily disappear toward Boston, naturally 
avoiding Lexington Common on their way. 

Upon his release Revere hastens across the 




PAUL REVERE 




WILLIAM DAWE.S 



LEXINGTON COMMON 17 

swamp at the north of the Common, and thence 
to the Parsonage ; goes with the inmates of 
that home, including Hancock and Adams, on 
their flight into Billerica, and returns to Buck- 
man Tavern to save a trunk full of papers be- 
longing to Hancock. He secures it, and comes 
to the Common, where Parker's men are drawn 
up ; passes through the rear ; hears the opening 
British volley, and turns to see the clouds of 
powder smoke rising above the field. Then 
he hastens away, and Lexington Common 
knows nothing more of Paul Kevere. 

Let us also return to the Common, and so go 
back a little in point of time. 

It is now about one o'clock. Captain Parker 
has just arrived from his home, over two miles 
away in the southerly part of the town near the 
Waltham line. A few more Minute Men come 
with him, and these, with the others, gather 
around their commander. He listens to their 
reports of the midnight happenings. Another 
messenger is sent down the Boston Road, for 
the first one has not returned. Nor does any 
one yet know of the fate of Solomon Brown 
and the other two scouts sent after the ten 
British officers the night before. 

The night air is chilly. For the comfort of 



18 BATTLE ON 

his men Parker dismisses them, with orders to 
remain within drum call. Those living near 
return to their homes, and those living at greater 
distances adjourn to the Tavern. 

Through the long and anxious hours that 
follow, the gun volleys and the bell in the old 
Belfry, which stands on the Common near the 
Meeting House, summon American men to de- 
fend American homes. 

And still they come ; not only those of 
Parker's Company, but others ; some even from 
our neighboring town of Woburn, off to the 
eastward. Among those are Robert Douglass 
and Sylvanus Wood, both members of their re- 
spective Woburn Companies, who nevertheless 
enlist with Parker at his solicitation for the 
threatening emergency. 

The second messenger sent down the Boston 
Road has not returned, nor has the third, nor 
as yet the fourth. One night traveller, though, 
does report that he has seen no British. 

Away to the eastward faint streaks of morn- 
ing light are now creeping upward from the 
horizon, and the songs of our little feathered 
friends and neighbors begin to accompany the 
ruder clang of that iron tongue which hangs in 
its bronze throat up in the old Belfry. 




BOUIyDER MARKING LINE OK THE MINUTE MEN 





SERGT. WILLIAM MUNROE 



FIFER JONATHAN HARRINGTON 



LEXINGTON COMMON 19 

Then another sound, that of a galloping horse 
coming up the Boston Road, bearing the fourth 
messenger, Captain Thaddeus Bowman, with 
the startling news of an invading army only half 
a mile away. 

" Beat the drum I To arms, to arms / " is the 
cry of Captain Parker ; and his drummer, 
William Diamond, awakens hills and valley 
with his warlike sounds. 

On the run come the Minute Men, and join 
their Captain in the road between the Meeting 
House and Tavern. Then Parker commands : 

" Load with powder and ball ! Every man of 
you who is equipped follow me ; and those of 
you who are not equipped, go into the Meeting 
House and furnish yourselves from the magazine, 
and immediately join the Company." 

Joseph Comee, Caleb Harrington, and Joshua 
Simonds hasten to comply with their Captain's 
order. 

Parker then leads the others to the middle of 
the Common, and forms them into a single line 
of thirty-eight men, for they are all who are 
now ready, this first moment of the Revolution. 

Others are rapidly coming, and soon Sergeant 
Munroe is forming a second line back, and in 
support of his Captain. These shall number 



20 BATTLE ON 

nearly as many more in the few minutes that 
follow. Counting both lines at last, with the 
few detached members in the Meetinor House 
and over the walls by the roadside, the complete 
Roster is but seventy- seven ! 

Major John Pitcairn is riding at the head of 
the advancing British soldiers coming up the 
Boston Road. He is in command of the six 
companies sent in advance by Lieut-Col. Smith 
to disarm and disperse the Lexington Minute 
Men. These six companies number about four 
hundred men. Smith's remaining forces are 
back a mile or two, and are as many more, 

Pitcairn hears the reverberating; drum-call of 
Diamond ; recognizes its defiance ; interprets it 
as a challenge, and calls, — 

" Halt ! " 

They are now nearer the Common than the 
Woburn Road, less than half a mile. 

Then comes Pitcairn's order to load, fol- 
lowed by another to forward march. 

On they come, rapidly, almost on the run. A 
rattle of equipments ; a tramp of heavy feet ; a 
dim mass of moving men ; nearer and nearer ; 
then the gleam of muskets ; then the scarlet of 
their uniforms ; then the command of officers 
riding in advance. 




MAJOR JOHN PITCAIRN 



LEXINGTON COMMON 21 

It is not strange that one of Parker's men 
says : 

" There are so few of us it is folly to stand 
here ! " 

Captain Parker hears that remark, and loudly 
exclaims : — 

''The first man who offers to run shall be 
shot down ! " Not one man has a wish or a 
thought of running. 

Walking down the line he continues : 

"Stand your ground. Don't fire unless 

fired upon. If they mean to have war, let it 

begin here ! " 

The British divide at the apex of the Common, 
and halt in the two spreading roads. The 
Meeting House stands between, and its easterly 
windows are brightening up a little with the 
rays of light from the coming sunrise. 

Major John Pitcairn, a brave man and a fine 
physical representative of the English army 
oflScer, rides ahead to within one hundred feet of 
Captain Parker's line, exclaiming : 

" Lay down your arms, you damned rebels, 
and disperse." 

Captain Parker realizes that the force in his 
front is more than five times greater than his 
own, and therefore gives the order to retire. 



22 



BATTLE ON 



He does not order the laying down of arms , 

every man carries away his gun. 

Pitcairn observes all of that and shouts : 

" Damn you, why don't you lay down your 

arms ? " 

Not one of the Minute Men heeds Pitcairn, as 

they march toward the northerly end of the 

Common. 

In the excitement of the moment one of the 
mounted British officers, about thirty feet in the 
rear of Pitcairn, brandishes his sword, which 
his soldiers take for a siofnal to huzza in unison. 
Then the officer fires his pistol toward the 
Minute Men. 

Pitcairn has not yet given the order to fire, 
and concludes that he is being attacked on the 
flank or rear. He no longer hesitates, but com- 
mands : 

"Fire!" 

His men fail to obey. For a moment a 
fearful silence rests over the Common. He is 
furious with passion and shouts : 

" Fire, damn you, fire ! " 

Eight or nine men, a part of the first platoon, 
then fire, but altogether too high, — over the 
heads of the Minute Men. Pitcairn interprets 



LEXINGTON COMMON 2iJ 

that as purposely done. His next order quickly 
follows : 

" G — d damn you, fire at them ! " 

That second volley is meant to kill, and 
does ! 

Corporal John Munroe, one of the Minute 
Men, recognizes the friendly intent of the first 
volley, and gives his impression to Ebenezer 
Munroe, "Jr.," who stands by his side. The 
second volley comes and wounds the latter in his 
arm. The stinging thud enables him to correct 
Corporal John Munroe's impression, in which 
he is confirmed by other Minute Men, wounded, 
dying, and dead. 

"I'll give them the guts of my gun," exclaims 
Ebenezer Munroe, "Jr." 

The two Munroes then deliberately return the 
British fire, retreat about one hundred and fifty 
feet, and there Corporal John Munroe re-loads 
his musket with two balls, and fires again. The 
charge is too heavy, and about a foot of the 
muzzle end of his musket follows the bullets. 
Other Minute Men pause and fire into the cloud 
of powder smoke between them and the Meet- 
ing House. 

Parker's little force are not all with him, or 
even within sound of his voice. A few are over 



24 BATTLE ON 

the walls, that bound the highways, and three 
are in the Meeting House for ammunition, in 
accordance with his orders. One of them, even 
now, realizing that he is almost surrounded, 
stands with primed musket pointing to a keg of 
powder which he resolves to explode, and 
thereby rob himself of life rather than be cap- 
tured. Solomon Brown, he who scouted after 
the ten British officers, and who was captured by 
them and kindly returned to near the Common 
and there released, has taken a position at the 
back door of Buckman Tavern, and fires. For 
a surer aim he passes through to the front door, 
and fires again from there. The response from 
the British is immediate. Brown is not struck 
by the bullets, but the Tavern is. John Buck- 
man, the landlord, a member of Parker's Com- 
pany, but not in line this morning, does not 
care to have it riddled by British bullets, and 
so remonstrates with Brown, who seeks another 
position, behind a stone wall near the barn. 
From there he continues his fire. His aim is 
good enough to wound one of a group of British 
officers, for Abijah Harrington, later, shall see a 
pool of blood on the ground where they stood. 
In answer, the British return a volley or two, 
and their bullets, striking the stone wall. 




THE BATTLE OF LEXIIfGTON BT PENDLETON 
THE BATTLE OF LEXINGTON BY DOOLITTLE 
"THE DAWN OF LIBERTY " BY SANDHAM 



LEXINGTON COMMON 25 

raise little clouds of stone dust like smoke. 
Brown prudently moves farther off to a safer 
position. 

We have said that Parker's men obey his com- 
mands to retire. One does not. He is stand- 
ing alone on Lexington Common, facing the 
British four hundred, exactly where he stood 
with his Captain a few moments ago, making 
good his oft repeated promise never to run away. 
His hat is on the ground between his feet, and 
in it is his ammunition, that it may be easily 
handled for its expected use. Deliberately he 
returns the British fire. One bullet out of their 
second volley coming but a short distance finds 
an easy mark in his body, and Jonas Parker, 
the grand hero of this the first battle of the 
American Revolution, terribly wounded, falls to 
the ground. His courage and spirit are not 
subdued, and he struggles to arise, succeeds a 
little, and is attempting to reload. It is a slow 
and painful effort. " / loill never run^'" are his 
last words. He does not. Several enraged foe- 
men rush forward and plunge their bayonets 
into his bosom. Bleeding, he dies, just where he 
stood in Captain Parker's first line on Lexington 
Common, on this April morning in the year 
17 75. No more heroic death ever happened in 



26 



BATTLE ON 



any war or anywhere, than this of Jonas 
Parker. He is our greatest battle hero. 

Other Americans killed are Jonathan Har- 
rington, son of Henry, and known as " Junior," 
meaning the second one of that name in the 
neighborhood. He is mortally wounded on the 
northerly end of the Common. Across the 
road is his home. He struggles to reach it, falls, 
but with renewed effort rises and staggfers to his 
own door-stone. His wife meets him there, 
and he dies in her arms. 

Ensign Robert Munroe is killed on the edge 
of the Common near Merriam's barn. 

Caleb Harrington, who was one of the three 
who went into the Meeting House for ammuni- 
tion, while escaping from the westerly end, is 
instantly killed. 

John Brown and Samuel Hadley are pursued 
to the swamp a little north of the Common, and 
there shot down. 

Isaac Muzzy is the seventh in the list of 
«lain. 

Asahel Porter, one of Parker's Company, but 
not one of the seventy-seven in line this morning, 
is killed in Buckman's garden. Earlier, down 
the Boston Road, he was taken prisoner, and 
brought by the British as far as the Common. 



'% 



'^s ^■') 







LEXINGTON COMMON 27 

Being unarmed, he was here released, and 
cautioned to ivalk, not run, away. His anxiety 
impelled him to run, which excited the suspicion 
of some foeman, who halted him with a bullet. 
His home is in Woburn. He counts as the 
eighth of our slain. 

The wounded are Joseph Comee, one of the 
three sent into the Meeting House for ammuni- 
tion. Emerging from the westerly end with 
Harrington, he makes his way to the Marrett 
house across the road, passes through and out of 
the back door and up over the hill at the rear. 
On the way he is wounded in the arm. 

John Robbins has two wounds, a shattered 
jaw bone and a badly lacerated arm. Ebenezer 
Munroe, " Jr. ," a wound on his arm. John Tidd, 
a sabre cut on his head. The other wounded 
are Solomon Pierce, Nathaniel Farmer, Thomas 
Winship, Jedediah Munroe, and Prince Esta- 
brook, colored. 

The British casualties are slight, but never- 
theless their blood, too, stains Lexington 
Common. While many of the seventy-seven 
Minute Men retire by order of their Captain as 
the four hundred Britons advance, not all can 
forget Parker's words : — 

^' If they want war let it begin here.'^ 



28 BATTLE ON 

Being fired upon, many replied in kind. 
Eight of them are known, and their names 
shall be a part of this record. They are : 

Solomon Brown, Ebenezer Lock, Ebenezer 
Munroe, " Jr.," Corporal John Munroe, Nathan 
Munroe, Jonas Parker, Lieutenant William 
Tidd and Benjamin Sampson. Probably there 
are others that belong in this list, now unknown. 

No Britons are killed. One man of the Tenth 
Regiment is wounded in the thigh, and another 
in the hand. Major Pitcairn's horse is the in- 
nocent victim of two bullets, not serious enough 
to disable him. Probably they were meant for 
his rider. 

The battle is ended, and besides the dead, 
there are now no Minute Men on the Common. 

After a little time the British are again in 
marching; order. It seems to them like their 
victory, so they fire a volley, and shout their 
huzzas. Four hundred have driven our seventy- 
seven from the field ! 

The main body, under Lieut-Col. Smith, has 
now come up, and Major John Pitcairn is no 
longer in command. 

Again the shouts of command ; again the 
martial strains of fife and drum ; again the 



LEXINGTON COMMON 29 

tramp, tramp, tramp, of heavy feet, as they 
march away toward ('oncord Hill. 

When the invaders are indeed gone our 
townsmen, and women, and children, come 
forth. The wounded are cared for, and those 
who have died are borne by strong and willing 
arms into the house of God. There they are 
laid side by side. The good Parson, Jonas 
Clarke, is also present with such words of spirit- 
ual comfort as he can administer, mingled 
with other words of patriotic counsel. There 
is comfort in his presence and strength in his 
words. 

Five stragorling British soldiers are now 
coming up the Boston Road, free from any 
warlike demonstrations. They are easily cap- 
tured, and constitute the first British prisoners 
of the American Revolution. They are sent to 
the Burlington Precinct over in Woburn, where 
suitable quarters are available. Their arms 
pass into the hands of those who have imme- 
diate use for them, for surely the day of con- 
test is not finished. The British have gone to 
Concord ; they will return ! 

The cool easterly wind has driven away all 
of the smoke of battle. The sun is a little 
higher ; its beams are struggling through the 



30 BATTLE ON LEXINGTON COMMON 

leaves and branches ; and the shadows on 
Lexinorton Common are o-rowing; lighter. More 
men, and women, and children, are gathering. 
The shadows in many of their hearts though, 
are darker, as they hasten here and there across 
the field, and into the Meeting House, searching 
for the ones who have not returned to them 
with the news of battle. We know of eight 
who cannot return, and they, too, shall soon 
know of them. 

In this supreme moment there may be a few 
who recall that patriotic resolution passed in 
Town Meeting in the year 1773, in which we 
pledged ourselves to sacrifice : — 

" Everything dear in lij^e, yea and life itself^ 
in support oj the Common Cause." 

To-day Lexington fulfills its pledge ; for 
here in the little Meeting House, just on the 
edge of the Common, rest side by side seven of 
her sons, who have given even their lives, 

" IN SUPPORT OF THE COMMON CAUSE." 



CAPTAIN Parker's company 



31 



Complete Roster of CAPTAIN JOHN PARKER'S COMPANY 

OF 144 Men. Only y-j of these were in the Morning 

Engagement. 



Officers. 
Captain, John Parker. 
Lieutenant, William Tidd, 
Ensign, Robert Munroe. 
Ensign, Joseph Simonds. 
Clerk, Daniel Harrington. 
Orderly Sergt ,Wi\\{a.m. Munroe. 
Sergeant. Francis Brown. 
Sergeant, Ebenezer White. 
Corporal, Joel Viles. 
Corporal, Samuel Sanderson. 
Corporal, John Munroe. 
Corporal, Ebenezer Parker. 
Drummer , William Diamond. 
Fifer, Jonathan Harrington (son 
of Jonathan). 

Privates. 

Isaac Blodgett. 

Ebenezer Bowman. 

Erancis Bowman. 

John Bridge, Jr. 

Joseph Bridge. 

James Brown. 

John Brown. 

Solomon Brown. 

John Buckman. 

Eli Burdoo 

John Chandler. 

John Chandler, Jr. 

Abijah Child. 

Joseph Comee. 

Thomas Cutler, 

Robert Douglass of Captain Bel- 
knap's Woburn Company. In 
Captain Parker's Company. 
April 19. 

Isaac Durant. 



Prince Estabrook. 

Nathaniel Parmer. 

Nathan Fessenden. 

Thomas Fessenden. 

Dr. Joseph Fisk. 

Isaac Green. 

William Grimes. 

Caleb Harrington. 

Jeremiah Harrington. 

John Harrington. 

Jonathan Harrington, then call- 
ed " Jr.," but son of Henry. 

Jonathan Harrington, 3rd. 

Moses Harrington. 

Moses Harrington, 3rd. 

Moses Harrington, Jr. 

Thaddeus Harrington, 
Thomas Harrington. 
William Harrington. 
Isaac Hastings. 
Samuel Hastings. 
Samuel Hastings. Jr. 
Benjamin Hadley. 
Ebenezer Hadley. 
Samuel Hadley, 
Thomas Hadley, Jr. 
John Hosmer. 
Micah Hagar. 
Amos I,ock. 
Benjamin I<ock. 
Ebenezer Lock. 
Reuben Lock. 
Joseph Loring. 
Jonathan Coring. 
Amos Marrett. 
Daniel Mason. 
Joseph Mason. 
Abner Mead. 



32 



CAPTAIN Parker's company 



Benjamin Merriam. 

William Merriam. 

Asa Munroe. 

Ebeuezer Munroe, son of Robert. 

Ebeuezer Munroe, then called 

" Jr.", but son of Jonas. 
Edmund Munroe. 
George Munroe. 
Jedediah Munroe. 
John Munroe, Jr. 
John Munroe, 2nd. 
Nathan Munroe. 
Philemon Munroe. 
Stephen Munroe. 
William Munroe, Jr. 
William Munroe, 3rd. 
Nathaniel Mulliken. 
Amos Muzzy. 
Isaac Muzzy. 
John Muzzy. 
Thaddeus Muzzy. 
Jonas Parker. 
Jonas Parker, Jr. 
Thaddeus Parker. 
John Parkhurst. 
Nathaniel Parkhurst, 
Solomon Pierce. 
Asahel Porter. 
Israel Porter. 
John Raymond. 
Hammond Reed. 
Joshua Reed. 
Joshua Reed, Jr. 
Josiah Reed. 
Nathan Reed. 
Robert Reed. 
Thaddeus Reed. 
William Reed. 
John Robbins. 
Thomas Robbins. 



Joseph Robinson. 

Phillip Russell. 

Benjamin Sampson. 

Elijah Sanderson. 

Ebenezer Simonds. 

Joshua Simonds. 

Abraham Smith. 

David Smith. 

Ebenezer Smith. 

Jesse Smith. 

John Smith. 

Jonathan Smith. 

Josiah Smith. 

Joseph Smith. 

Phineas Smith. 

Samuel Smith. 

Thaddeus Smith. 

William Smith. 

Simeon Snow. 

Asahel Stearns, 

Phineas Stearns. 

Jonas Stone. 

Jonas Stone, Jr. 

Benjamin Tidd. 

John Tidd. 

Samuel Tidd. 

Joseph Underwood, 

Benjamin Wellington 

Enoch Wellington. 

Timothy Wellington. 

John Williams. 

John Winship, 

Samuel Winship. 

Thomas Winship. 

Sylvanus Wood of Captain 

Walker's Woburn Company. 

In Captain Parker's Company 

April 19. 
James Wyman. 
Nathan Wyman. 



PARKER S MEN ON THE COMMON 



38 



Names of the SEVENTY-SEVEN MEN OF CAPTAIN JOHN 

PARKER'S COMPANY who were in the early morning 

engagement on Lexington Common, April 19, 1775. 



Officers. 
Captain, John Parker. 
Lieutenant, William Tidd 
Ensign, Robert Munroe, killed. 
Ensign, Joseph Simonds. 
Clerk, Daniel Harrington. 
Orderly Sergt,, William Munroe. 
Corporal, Joel Viles. 
Corporal, Samuel Sanderson. 
Corporal, John Munroe. 
Corporal, Ebenezer Parker. . 
Drummer, William Diamond. 
Fifer, Jonathan Harrington. 

Privates. 
Ebenezer Bowman. 
John Bridge, Jr. 
James Brown. 
John Brown, killed. 
Solomon Brown. 
John Chandler, 
John Chandler, Jr. 
Joseph Comee, wounded. 
Robert Douglass, of Captain 

Belknap's Woburn Company. 

Enlisted in Captain Parker's 

Company, April 19. 
Isaac Durant. 
Prince Estabrook, colored, 

wounded. 
Nathaniel Farmer, wounded. 
Isaac Green. 
William Grimes. 
Caleb Harrington, killed. 
John Harrington. 
Jonathan Harrington, "jr.," 

killed, (son of Henry, but 

known as a " Junior " at that 

time). 



Moses Harrington, 3rd. 

Moses Harrington, Jr. 

Thaddeus Harrington. 

Thomas Harrington. 

Isaac Hastings. 

Samuel Hastings. 

Samuel Hadley, killed. 

Thomas Hadley, Jr. 

John Hosmer. 

Micah Hagar. 

Amos Lock. 

Benjamin Lock. 

Ebenezer Lock. 

Reuben Lock. 

Abner Mead. 

Ebenezer Munroe, Jr. (son of 
Jonas.but known as a"junior" 
at that time) ; wounded. 

Jedediah Munroe, wounded. 

John Munroe, Jr. 

Nathan Munroe. 

William Munroe, 3rd. 

Nathaniel MuUiken. 

Isaac Muzzy, killed. 

John Muzzy. 

Jonas Parker, killed. 

Jonas Parker, Jr. 

Nathaniel Parkhurst. 

Solomon Pierce wounded. 

Asahel Porter, killed. Unarmed. 
(Had been taken prisoner, re- 
leased, but shot as he was run- 
ning away). 

Joshua Reed. 

Joshua Reed, Jr. 

Nathan Reed. 

John Robbins, wounded. 

Phillip Russell. 

Benjamin Sampson. 



34 Parker's men on the common 

Joshua Simonds, Benjamin Wellington. 

John Smith. Enoch Wellington. 

Phineas Smith. John Winship. 

Simeon Snow. Thomas Winship. wounded. 

Phineas Stearns. Sylvanus Wood, of Captain 

Jonas Stone, Jr. Walker's Woburn Company. 

John Tidd, wounded. Enlisted in Captain Parker's 

Samuel Tidd. Company, April 19. 

Joseph Underwood. James Wyman. 

77 in all not counting Porter, who was not in line. 



Names of the EIGHT MEN OF CAPTAIN JOHN PARKER'S 

COMPANY who returned the British Fire in the early 

morning engagement on Lexington Common. 

Lieutenant ^i\\ia.va.T\AA. of Jonas, but known as a 

Corporal John Munroe. " Junior " at that time). 

Solomon Brown. Nathan Munroe. 

Ebenezer Lock. Jonas Parker, killed. 

Ebenezer Munroe, wounded (son Benjamin Sampson. 



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CAPTAIN JOHN PARKER S DEPOSITION 



FICTION AND TRUTH 

ABOUT THE 

BATTLE 

ON 

Lexington Common 

APRIL 19, 1775 



By frank warren COBURN 



A PAPER READ BEFORE THE 

LEXINGTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY 
Tuesday Evening, December 12, 1916 



LEXINGTON, MASS., U. S. A. 

PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR 

1918 



COPYRIGHT 

1918 

PRANK WARREN COBURN 



F. L. COBURN & CO., PRINTERS, BOSTON, MASS. 



CONTENTS 



Authorities v 

Prefatory 7 

First Provincial Congress ... 11 

Second Provincial Congress . . 12 

Third Provincial Congress . . 13 

The Narrative 14 

Depositions 16 

Deposition of Solomon Brown, Jon- 
athan LoRiNG AND Elijah Sanderson 16 
Deposition of Elijah Sanderson . . 16 
Thomas Rice Willard . 17 
Simon Winship . . 17 
Capt. John Parker . 18 
John Robbins ... 19 
Benjamin Tidd and Joseph 

Abbott 20 

Deposition of Nathaniel Mulliken 

and thirty-three others ... 20 
Deposition of Nathaniel Parkhurst 

and thirteen others ... 21 

Deposition of Timothy Smith . . 22 

Levi Mead and Levi 

Harrington 22 

Deposition of William Draper . . 22 
Thomas Fessenden . . 23 
John Bateman . . 24 
Lieut. Edward Thorn- 
ton Gould 24 

The Ezra Ripley Depositions . . 27 



IV 



CONTENTS 



Deposition of John Richardson 
" Samuel Hartwell 

" " Robert Douglass 

" Sylvanus Wood 
Testimony of Paul Revere . 
Testimony of Rev. Jonas Clarke 
Official Report of Lieut. Col. Smith 
Major Pitcairn's Version 
Governor Gage's Version . 
Ensign De Bernicre's Version 
A British Officer's Version 
Statement of the Third Provincial 

Congress 

Testimony of Levi Harrington . 
The Phinney Depositions 
Deposition of James Reed 

Abijah Harrington 
Amos Lock 

" " Elijah Sanderson . 

" " William Tidd 

" " Joseph Underwood 

" " John Munroe . 

" " Ebenezer Munroe . 

" '* Nathan Munroe . 

" " Sargeant William Mun 

ROE 

Plea for Publication of all Contem- 
porary Evidence 

Names of Those Who Returned the 
British Fire .... 



28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
35 
36 
38 
40 
42 

43 

44 
45 
46 
46 
47 
48 
49 
50 
50 
53 
54 

55 

58 

59 



AUTHORITIES 

The Journals of Each Provincial Congress of Massa- 
chusetts IN 1774 AND 1775, [etc.,] and Other Docu- 
ments. Published Agreeably to a Resolve Passed 
March 10, 1837. Boston, 1838. 
Containing the Journals of each of the three Congresses ; 
Narrative of the Excursion of the King's Troops April 19, 
1775 ; the fifteen Depositions herein cited ; the Letter of Gov. 
Jonathan Trumbull of Conn., to His Excellency Thomas 
Gage ; the latter's Reply ; the British Official Account. 

A History of the Fight at Concord on the 19th of 
April, 1775, [etc.] Showing that Then and There the 
First Regular and Forcible Resistance was Made 
TO THE British Soldiery, [etc.]. Concord, 1827. 
Containing the four Depositions herein cited. 

Life of Colonel Paul Revere, by Elbridge Henry Goss. 
Boston, 1891. 
Containing the Narrative of Paul Revere reproduced in 
fac- simile. 

Report of Lieutenant-Colonel F. Smith in Proceedings 
OF the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1875-6. 
[Commencing on page 350.] Boston, 1876. 

Ensign De Bernicre's Narrative, as Printed in the Col- 
lections OF the Mass. Historical Society, Vol. IV., 
2nd Series. Originally printed in Boston in 1779. 

The Diary of a British Officer in Boston in 1775, in 
The Atlantic Monthly April and May, 1877. 

Levi Harrington's Account. Manuscript in the Pos- 
session OF Messrs. Charles W. Swan and George D. 
Harrington, of Lexington. 



VI AUTHORITIES 

History of the Battle of Lexington, on the Morning 
OF THH 19th April, 1775. By Elias Phinney. Boston, 
1825, [reprint of 1875]. 
Containing the ten Depositions herein cited. 

History of the Siege of Boston. By Richard Frothing- 
ham. Second Edition. Boston, 1851. 
Containing Major John Pitcairn's Version as quoted by 
Ezra Stiles, D. D. 

A Sermon Preached at Lexington April 19, 1776, to 
Commemorate the Murder, Bloodshed, and Com- 
mencement of Hostilities [etc.], to which is Added 
A Brief Narrative of the Principal Transactions 
OF the Day. By Rev. Jonas Clarke. Boston, 1776. 



Prefatory. 

The many historical accounts of the battle of 
Lexington are founded upon the Narrative and 
Depositions of the Second Provincial Congress ; 
on those gathered by other hands ; on the testi- 
mony of eyewitnesses ; and on the British offi- 
cial reports. 

These are sadly at variance with each other. 

Unfortunately the group that Americans nat- 
urally turn to, those of the Second Provincial 
Congress, fail to inspire in the breasts of Lex- 
ingtonians, any feelings of patriotic fervor. 

They are insufficient; they are misleading; 
they suppress a portion of the truth ; and there- 
fore the impression they convey is a false one. 

Because of the standing of Congress as the 
highest American authority many writers have 
accepted that report as conclusive. 

There are two accounts of the battle that this 
Society delights to honor, one by Elias Phinney, 
published in 1825, and another by Charles Hud- 
son, in his excellent History of Lexington, pub- 
lished in 1868. 



8 BATTLE ON LEXINGTON COMMON 

Neither relied entirely upon the official account 
of the Second Congress. 

In grateful remembrance of their work, so far 
as I may, I dedicate this hour. 

When our energetic president came to me a 
few months ago and requested a paper upon our 
favorite topic, I was obliged to confess that I 
had no new or strange offering. With his per- 
mission and approval I agreed to arrange all of 
the very old material in such form that we might 
judge candidly, by comparison, of its true value. 

I therefore invite your attention to a brief 
synopsis of all of the American and British offi- 
cial accounts, and of all of the testimony of wit- 
nesses. 

Bear in mind that it is not my aim to advance 
a theory and support it by a partial presentation 
of testimony. 

You will find in these witnesses which I sum- 
mon, repetitions, contradictions, inconsistencies. 

I present them all without apology. It shall 
be your privilege to separate the wheat from the 
chaff, — the Fiction from the Truth. 



Fiction and Truth About the Battle on 
Lexington Common. 

The battle on Lexington Common was fought 
one hundred and forty-one years ago. 

From that time until today historical writers 
have been seriously misled by the first American 
official account of that event. 

On that morning the few men who stood fac- 
ing the king's soldiers were loyal subjects. They 
had their grievances, but within them still burned 
a faith, that somehow, — sometime, — not too far 
away, their prayers for redress would be listened 
to and answered. 

After that fatal second volley Captain Parker's 
men were indeed rebels. 

When the smoke of battle had cleared away, 
when their vengeance had been fully wreaked 
upon the invaders, many of them, — not all, — lis- 
tened to the calmer counsel of their Congress, 
whose plea seemed to be for peace, — peace, but 
with justice and honor. 

Such an adjustment could be reached only by 
placing the martyrs' wreath upon the graves of 



10 BATTLE ON 

Lexington's slain. It was the immediate pur- 
pose of the Congress to do exactly that. 

Accordingly on April 22, three days after the 
battle, a committee of nine was appointed by the 
Congress to gather depositions of participants 
and spectators, and on the next day, April 23, a 
committee of three was appointed to prepare a 
Narrative of the Excursions of the King's Sol- 
diers to accompany those depositions. 

Dr. Church, Mr. Gerry, and Mr, Cushing con- 
stituted that committee. 

The Narrative and Depositions were published 
in the following month of May, by Isaiah Thom- 
as, at Worcester. 

I find no serious departure from the truth, 
either in Narrative or Depositions, except as they 
fall far short of the whole truth, — and thus mis- 
lead and hide from our view the complete battle 
scene, with the result that erroneous conclusions 
have been drawn and may still be drawn. 

What was the motive of Congress in publish- 
ing this misleading report? 

Simply this : reconciliation was hoped for and 
expected, and it could easier be obtained by min- 
imizing the offence of the colonists^ and magni- 
fying the offence of the king's soldiers ! 

Fortunately all of Parker's command were not 
-willing to co-operate in the plan of Congress, so 



LEXINGTON COMMON 11 

their signatures do not appear beneath those de- 
positions. Years afterward, however, some were 
gathered by other hands, and thus we have the 
more finished story. 

It is my purpose in this essay to analyze all of 
the first ones, and to place with them four others, 
gathered many years afterwards, that seem to be- 
long to that side of the controversy. 

In opposition to those I propose to also give an 
analysis of all other depositions and narratives 
of participants and eyewitnesses, together with 
the British official accounts, that we may see 
clearly the real happenings of that brief half 
hour. 

First, let us consider briefly the civil authority 
under which the provincial military forces were 
acting. 

Who constituted the First Provincial Congress 
of Massachusetts? 

The Royal Governor, Gen. Thomas Gage, had 
issued his writs on Sept. ist, 1774, calling upon 
the inhabitants to return representatives to the 
Great and General Court, to be convened at 
Salem, Oct. 5, but, between those dates, becom- 
ing alarmed at the extraordinary resolves passed 
by some of the County Conventions, and instruc- 
tions given by Boston and some other towns to 
their representatives, thought the time was not 



12 BATTLE ON 

auspicious for such a gathering. Therefore, he 
issued a proclamation countermanding his first 
call. 

However, ninety elected representatives met, 
on Oct. 5, at Salem, and awaited the Governor — 
who failed to appear. 

They adjourned to the next day, Oct. 6th, and 
then met as a Convention, and chose John Han- 
cock, Chairman, after which they adjourned 
until the next day, Oct. 7, when they met 
again, and then declared themselves to be a 
Provincial Congress. 

John Hancock was chosen Permanent Chair- 
man. 

Thus the First Provincial Congress was made 
over by themselves, from the duly elected mem- 
bers of the Great and General Court, which 
would have recognized Gen. Gage as their royal 
Governor, into a self constituted legislative 
body, whose whole legislative work was to be in 
direct antagonism to him, and to the English 
Parliament. 

They were dissolved by their own vote Dec. 
10, 1774. 

The Second Provincial Congress was prac- 
tically a direct representative gathering of the 
people. 



LEXINGTON COMMON 13 

They convened at Cambridge, Feb. i, 1775, 
and dissolved May 29, following. 

The Third Provincial Congress, also elected 
by the people, convened at Watertown, May 
31, and dissolved July 19, 1775. 

On July 20, 1775, the succeeding General 
Court of Massachusetts, consisting of a Coun- 
cil and a House of Representatives, enacted 
that all and every of the Resolves of the 
Provincial Congresses, from Oct, 4, 1774, to 
July 20, 1775, be confirmed and established as 
lawful and valid, thus legalizing all of the Acts 
of their predecessors. 

The official Narrative of the battle which 
we are to consider, was the work of the Sec- 
ond Provincial Congress. 

The Proclamation issued by the Third Pro- 
vincial Congress, June 16, 1775, we shall also 
briefly consider, because of its variance from 
the Narrative. 

Almost every vote of the First and Second 
Congresses was in preparation for a defensive 
war. The sessions were behind closed doors 
and those votes were in secret. Openly they 
frequently pledged their loyalty to their gov- 
ernor, their king, and their mother country, 
expressions that we must look upon as insin- 
cere, in fact, merely as measures of diplomacy. 



14 BATTLE ON 

For instance, on Oct. 29, 1774, the First Pro- 
vincial Congress appointed a Committee to 
present a communication to his Excellency, 
Governor Gage, which contained this sen- 
tence : — 

"We trust, sir, that we shall not fail in our 
duty to our country and loyalty to our king, 
or in a proper respect to your excellency."* 

Yet every session bristled with rebellious 
activity. 

The Second Provincial Congress, in an ad- 
dress to the Inhabitants of Great Britain, 
dated April 26, 1775, and speaking of the rav- 
ages of the King's troops on the 19th of April, 
affirmed their continued loyalty nevertheless, 
in these words : — 

"We profess to be his loyal and dutiful sub- 
jects, and so hardly dealt with as we have 
been, are still ready, with our lives and for- 
tunes, to defend his person, family, crown and 
dignity." 

And yet nearly 4,000 minute men had must- 
ered on the previous 19th of April to oppose 
their sovereign's troops. 

We must look upon the Narrative of the 
Excursions of the King's Troops, promulgated 



*Journals of Each Provincial Congress, page 45. 



LEXINGTON COMMON 15' 

by the Second Congress, as a part of the dip- 
lomatic history of that Congress. 

The opening sentence shows conclusively 
that the Congress did not yet wish to be con- 
sidered as rebels, for it accuses the King's 
troops of shedding: "the blood of sundry of 
the loyal American subjects of the British 
king in the field of Lexington." 

It continues by reciting how a detachment 
of about 900 men, under Lieutenant-Colonel 
Smith, attacked a small party of about lOO in- 
habitants of Lexington and other adjacent 
towns, some with and some without firearms. 

The detachment were proceeding on their 
way at a brisk pace towards Concord, as the 
inhabitants supposed, to take or destroy a 
quantity of stores deposited there, for the use 
of the Colony. 

The inhabitants were far from being dis- 
posed to commence hostilities against the 
troops of their sovereign, and unless attacked 
were determined to be peaceful spectators of 
this extraordinary movement. 

On the approach of Col. Smith with the de- 
tachment under his command they dispersed, 
but the detachment, seeming to thirst for 
blood, wantonly rushed on and killed eight on 



16 BATTLE ON 

the spot and wounded several others, before 
any guns were fired by our men. 

Not contented with this effusion of blood, 
as if malice had occupied their whole souls, 
they continued the fire until all of the small 
party who escaped the dismal carnage were 
out of reach. 

Colonel Smith then proceeded to Concord. 

The Depositions were fashioned to support 
the Narrative. 

The Committee appointed to take them were 
not looking for the entire truth, but only that 
portion of it which could be fashioned in sup- 
port of their accusations against the King's 
soldiers. 

Deposition of Solomon Brown, Jonathan Lor- 

ing, and Elijah Sanderson, Jointly, Dated 

April 25. 

They have nothing to say as to the action 
on the Common, but tell of being detaine4 
and abused by the British oflficers the night 
before, and on that morning. 

Solomon Brown could have told an interest- 
ing story, but it was not required. 

Deposition of Elijah Sanderson. 
The next deposition is by the same Elijah 



LEXINGTON COMMON 17 

Sanderson, separately, who swore April 25, 
that he saw the regular troops advancing- to- 
wards the Lexington Company, "many of 
whom were then dispersing," and that he 
heard one officer say, "damn them — we will 
have them ;" that the regulars shouted aloud, 
run and fired on the Lexington Company, 
"which did not fire a gun before the regulars 
discharged on them." 

"Eight of the Lexington Company were 
killed while they were dispersing." 

Deposition of Thomas Rice Willard. 

Thomas Rice Willard, in his deposition of 
April 23, states that he was in the Daniel Har- 
rington house, and on looking out of the win- 
dow saw the regulars approach the minute 
men within eight or nine rods, at which time 
the militia dispersed, and that an officer hol- 
lowed after them to lay down their arms ; and 
"that there was not a gun fired till the militia 
of Lexington were dispersed." 

Deposition of Simon Winship. 

The next deposition is that of Simon Win- 
ship, dated April 25, who was taken prisoner 



18 BATTLE ON 

by the British earlier in the morning, and was 
with them as they came to the Common. 

When within an eighth of a mile of the 
meeting house the commander ordered the 
troops to halt and load. Then they marched 
on, and when within a few rods of Parker's 
Company, saw an officer at the head of said 
troops flourishing his sword, and heard him, 
in a loud voice, give the order to fire. He con- 
cluded his deposition by saying that there was 
no discharge of arms on either side until that 
order to fire. 

Deposition of Captain John Parker. 

Captain John Parker's deposition comes 
next, and is dated April 25.* He ordered, and 
I quote his own words, "our militia to meet 
on the common in said Lexington, to consult 
what to do, and concluded not to be discov- 
ered, nor meddle, or make with said regular 
troops, if they should approach, unless they 
should insult or molest us ; and upon their 
sudden approach I immediately ordered our 
militia to disperse, and not to fire. Imme- 
diately said troops made their appearance, and 



•April 23, in fac-slmile In Hudson's Lexington, I, 218. 
There are other slight differences between his two dep- 
ositions but not materially changing his meaning. 



LEXINGTON COMMON 19 

rushing furiously on fired upon and killed 
eight of our party without receiving any 
provocation therefor from us." 

The Captain said nothing of a return fire. 
Taken altogether, his deposition is the most 
unfortunate one of all for us to consider. 

I cannot reconcile his statement with his 
action. He said they "concluded not to be 
discovered," yet it is well known and accepted 
by all that his first order on learning of the 
British approach, was for Dimond to sound 
the alarm upon his drum, — which Pitcairn ac- 
cepted as a challenge. Parker quickly fol- 
lowed it with other orders to his company to 
load with powder and ball, and to form for 
action practically across the British path. 

Deposition of John Robbins. 

The deposition of John Robbins, dated April 
24, is next. 

He testified that he was in the front ranks 
of Parker's Company when there suddenly ap- 
peared about a thousand of the King's troops, 
as he thought, at a distance of sixty or seventy 
yards. Three officers on horseback were in 
front, the foremost of whom cried : "throw 
down your arms ! ye villains ! ye rebels !" 

Upon which the Company dispersing, that 



20 BATTLE ON 

foremost officer gave the order to fire. Rob- 
bins was wounded and fell, and several of our 
men by his side were shot dead. 

Parker's men, he believed, had not then fired 
a shot. 

Deposition of Benjamin Tidd and Joseph 
Abbott. 

Benjamin Tidd, of Lexington, and Joseph 
Abbott, of Lincoln, unite in a deposition under 
date of April 25. 

They were mounted on horses, and were on 
the Common as spectators, when the regulars 
marched up to the Lexington Company, which 
was then dispersing. Soon after, the regulars 
fired, first a few guns, which Tidd and Abbott 
took to be pistols, then a volley or two, before 
any guns were fired by the Lexington Com- 
pany. 

Deposition of Nathaniel Mulliken and Thirty- 
three Others. 

Nathaniel Mulliken and thirty-three others 
unite in one deposition, dated April 25. 

They admit having been alarmed, and in 
consequence, of meeting at the place of the 
Company's parade, meaning on the Common, 



LEXINGTON COMMON 21 

and were dismissed by the Captain for the 
time. 

About five o'clock, hearing the drum beat, 
they proceeded towards the parade, and found 
that a large body of troops were marching 
towards them. Some of the Company had 
reached the parade, and some were coming, at 
which time the Company began to disperse. 

"Whilst our backs were turned on the troops, 
we were fired on by them, and a number of our 
men instantly killed and wounded. Not a gun 
was fired by any person in our company on the 
regulars, to our knowledge, before they fired on 
us." 



Deposition of Nathaniel Parkhurst and 
Thirteen Others. 

Nathaniel Parkhurst and thirteen others unite 
in a deposition dated April 25. 

They testify that at the drum beat, they at- 
tended, and formed on the parade, faced towards 
the regulars. Some of the Company were com- 
ing to the parade, with their backs towards the 
troops, and others on the parade began to dis- 
perse, when the regulars fired — before a gun 
was fired by any of Parker's Company. 



22 BATTLE ON 

Depositon of Timothy Smith. 

Timothy Smith, whose deposition was dated 
April 25, testified that he was on the Common as 
a spectator. 

He saw a large body of troops marching 
towards the Lexington Company, — then dispers- 
ing, — and likewise saw the regular troops fire, — 
before the Lexington Company fired a gun. 

Deposition of Levi Mead and Levi Harring- 
ton. 

Levi Mead and Levi Harrington unite in a 
deposition, dated April 25, to the effect that they 
were on the Common as spectators, and saw the 
regular troops marching towards the Lexington 
Company. Some were on horseback, whom they 
took to be officers, who fired a pistol or two on 
the Lexington Company, which was then dis- 
persing, and those were the first guns that were 
fired. 

Nothing said of any return fire. 

Deposition of William Draper. 

William Draper^ probably as a spectator, and 
whose deposition was taken April 25, testified 
that the regulars appeared at the meeting house, 
and that Parker's Company, which was drawn 



LEXINGTON COMMON 23 

Up back of said meeting house, turned from 
said troops and made their escape by dispersing. 
The regular troops "made an huzza," ran 
towards Parker's Company, and immedi- 
ately after the commanding officer of said 
troops, as Draper took him to be, gave the order 
to fire, and they did fire, before any of Parker's 
Company fired. 

Deposition of Thomas Fessenden. 

Thomas Fessenden swore, April 23, that he 
was in a pasture near the meeting house when 
he saw the regular troops pass the meeting house 
on their way towards the Lexington militia. He 
saw three officers on horseback advance to the 
front of said regulars. One of them, when 
within six rods of the militia, cried out : "dis- 
perse you rebels immediately," on which he 
brandished his sword three times. The sec- 
ond officer, about two rods behind, fired a 
pistol pointed at the militia. The regulars 
huzzaed until the officer finished brandishing his 
sword, and when he had finished brandishing his 
sword, he pointed it at the militia, — and immedi-* 
ately the regulars fired. 

Fessenden further testified that as soon as the 
officer cried : "disperse, you rebels," the said 
company of militia dispersed every way as 



24 BATTLE ON 

fast as they could, "and while they were dis- 
persing, the regulars kept firing at them in- 
cessantly." 

Fessenden said nothing of a return fire. 

Deposition of John Bateman. 

John Bateman belonged to the 52nd Regiment 
of the British. He swore, on April 23, that he 
was with the party marching to Concord. 

At Lexington there was a small party of men 
gathered, and he heard the word of command 
given to the troops to fire, — and some of said 
troops did fire, — and he saw one of said party 
lie dead on the ground nigh said meeting house. 

And he further testified that he never heard, 
to use his own words : "any of the inhabitants 
so much as fire one gun on said troops." 

Deposition of Lieutenant Edward Thornton 
Gould. 

Lieutenant Edward Thornton Gould, of his 
Majesty's own regiment, under date of April 
20, swore that he embarked with the forces 
under Colonel Smith on the evening of the 
i8th, landed on the marshes at Cambridge, 
and proceeded to Lexington. On arrival ar 
that place they saw a body of provincial 
troops, armed, to the number of about sixty 
or seventy men. 









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LEXINGTON COMMON 25' 

"On our approach, they dispersed, and soon 
after firing began, but which party fired first 
I cannot exactly say, as our troops rushed on, 
shouting and huzzaing, previous to the firing, 
which was continued by our troops so long 
as any of the provincials were to be seen." 

So much for the fifteen Depositions that 
accompany the Narrative, 

To those were signed sixty-four names, all 
participants or eyewitnesses, most of them of 
Parker's Company. 

In all of the Depositions there is not a posi- 
•tive statement that any of Parker's Company re- 
turned the fire at all, though in nine out of fif- 
teen it is hinted at in that left-handed sentence 
that no man in Parker's Company fired, until 
he was fired upon! 

We are left to conjecture whether he did then 
or not. 

Are there any omissions of names that we 
might expect to find there? 

Yes! 

In Parker's Company were more than a dozen 
Munroes; but only two, John, Jr., and William, 
3rd., can be found subscribed to the Depositions ! 

Why? 

Jedidiah was wounded on the Common in the 
morning; and his patriotic spirit, not having been 



26 BATTLE ON 

subdued, continued until he was killed in the 
afternoon. 

Ensign Robert was among those who were 
slain. 

Ebenezer, Jr., and John stood side by side 
through the first and second volleys, and then 
dispersing, deliberately fired back. Ebenezer 
had been wounded, and his return fire was his 
answer to the British bullet. 

John, son of Ensign Robert, might have seen 
his father fall, for not many paces could have 
separated them, ere he sent back that second 
double leaden answer. 

Those two Munroes were certainly conspicu- 
ous in their enmity to the king's soldiers, and 
their signatures would not have been a graceful 
addition to the Depositions of the Provincial 
Congress. 

Concede to the others bearing that family 
name, the well-known family traits, and we are 
not mystified because they were not enrolled 
with the sixty-four, under Dr. Church's ban- 
ner. 

There were other names that the Provincial 
Congress would have been glad to add to their 
peace document, but they were not available. 

Years after, some of them subscribed to an- 



LEXINGTON COMMON 27 

Other set of Depositions, which we shall soon 
contrast with those of 1775. 

As we finish considering the official report of 
the Provincial Congress, let us pay our respects 
to the chairman of the Narrative part. 

Dr. Benjamin Church was a part of Boston's 
contribution to the Congress. By reputation he 
was a man of sterling patriotism, enthusiastic 
in the duties assigned to him, — effective in 
their accomplishment. 

Secretly he was in sympathy with the mother 
country. In the following November cipher 
letters of his were intercepted by Elbridge Gerry, 
and it was found that he had been in correspon- 
dence with the enemy. 

He was condemned by the Massachusetts 
Legislature, for treason, and sentenced to im- 
prisonment for life. His health failing, he was 
allowed to leave the country. He embarked for 
the West Indies, but the ship on which he sailed 
was never again heard of. 

Just to what extent Dr. Church dominated the 
Narrative and Depositions committees, we can- 
not determine; but the tragic ending of his po- 
litical career casts its dark shadows backwards 
to Lexington Common. 

The E^;ra Ripley Depositions. 

I will add to those fifteen Depositions four 



28 BATTLE ON 

more, valuable in some respects, but so much in 
sympathy with the idea that Parker's men dis- 
persed immediately upon Pitcairn's request, and 
without firing hardly a gun in response, that they 
should be a part of the same group. 

Those four were probably the last sworn state- 
ments of survivors ever taken. They first ap- 
peared in the History of the Concord Fight, by 
Rev. Ezra Ripley, with the assistance of some 
other citizens of Concord, and published in 1827. 
Mr. Ripley's pamphlet was intended to be a 
reply to the one by Elias Phinney, and it was his 
evident ambition to place the commencement of 
the American Revolution at the Concord North 
Bridge. 

In the back part of his pamphlet he published, 
in whole or in part, eight of the depositions of 
1775, including the one by Captain John Parker, 
and the four new ones, which he or some of his 
assistants, had gathered for that particular use. 

The new ones were by John Richardson, Sam- 
uel Hartwell, Robert Douglass and Sylvanus 
Wood. 

Deposition of John Richardson. 

John Richardson, of Newton, under date of 
June 25, 1827, swore that he was at Lexington 



LEXINGTON COMMON 29 

on the 19th of April. He did not claim that he 
was present in the morning. 

No mention was made in his hearing of the 
Americans having fired upon the British on that 
morning; that those events were a constant 
topic of conversation for a long time after; that 
he never heard that any individual in Parker's 
Company had fired upon the British "until 
the visit of Gen. Lafayette to this country 
in 1825, with the exception of one gun, which 
was said to have been fired by Solomon Brown, 
while standing in the back kitchen, of the tavern, 
then owned by Buckman, now Meriam." 



Deposition of Samuel Hartwell. 

Samuel Hartwell, of Lincoln, in a deposition 
taken July 19, 1827, swore that he had been ac- 
quainted with the inhabitants of Lexington, and 
particularly with many who were of Captain 
Parker's Company on the 19th of April, 1775, 
and did not recollect that any of the people of 
Lexington ever stated that there was any firing 
by Parker's Company, "until within a few 
years, except the firing of one gun, after the 
British had turned and were passing off the 
Common." 



30 BATTLE ON 

Deposition of Robert Douglass. 

Robert Douglass, of Portland, Me., under 
date of May 3, 1827, swore that he was at his 
father's house, in Woburn, on the morning of 
April 19, and about an hour before daybreak a 
man rode up and knocked loudly at the door, 
and announced the coming out of the British, 
and that he must turn out and repair to Lexing- 
ton. 

He joined Sylvanus Wood, and they went to 
Lexington together, arriving there half an hour 
before sunrise. 

He heard Parker order his drummers to beat 
to arms. He paraded with the Lexington Com- 
pany, and marched to the Common, near the 
Bedford road, where they were ordered to load 
their guns. 

Some one said : — 

"There are so few of us it would be folly to 
stand here." 

Parker replied: — 

"The first man who offers to run shall be shot 
down." 

The British came in sight, gave three cheers, 
and ran towards the Lexington Company, who 
began to break on the left wing, and ran oflF, and 
were soon dispersed. 



LEXINGTON COMMON 31 

No one of Parker's Company fired on the 
British^ to his knowledge, said Douglass. He 
further stated that he knew but two men of the 
Lexington Company, and that he never heard 
any person say that the Americans fired on the 
British that morning. 

Deposition of Sylvanus Wood. 

Sylvanus Wood, of Woburn, swore June 17, 
1826, that he was alarmed by the ringing of the 
bell, presumably on Lexington Common, about 
an hour before daybreak, on the morning of the 
19th. 

He was then in Woburn, about three miles 
away. 

He and a companion scon reached the Com- 
mon, and found Captain Parker and others, al- 
ready assembled. 

Parker begged the two to join his Company, 
and they did, taking their places in line, at once. 

The British soon appeared, and the com- 
mander ordered the Lexington Company to lay 
down their arms and disperse, and gave the order 
to fire. 

Wood thought that only powder had been 
used, for no one was hurt. Just then, he said, 
Parker ordered every man to take care of him- 
self. 



32 



BATTLE ON 



Not a gun was fired by any of Parker's Com- 
pany, within his knowledge. 

While they were dispersing the second platoon 
fired and killed some of our men. 

One man told him some years afterwards^ that 
while the company was dispersing^ he had given 
them the "guts of his gun." 

Wood did not name the man, but that expres- 
sion has been credited to Ebenezer Munroe, Jr. . 

Both Douglass and Wood actually knew so 
little of the happenings after the second volley, 
that it is safe to conclude they lost no time 
in accepting Pitcairn's suggestion to "dis- 
perse." 

So much for Mr. Ripley's contribution to 
our historical literature. 

Testimony of Paul Revere. 

Paul Revere wrote an interesting account of 
his celebrated ride ; and as he saw and heard 
just a little of that opening scene, which he 
included in that account, I will give it a place 
here. 

After he had been released by the British 
officers, not far from the Common, he sought 
out Hancock and Adams, and accompanied 
them for about two miles in their flight. He 
and another man then returned to the Buck- 




GEN. THOMAS GAGE 



LEXINGTON COMMON 33 

man Tavern to rescue a trunk of papers be- 
longing to Hancock. 

Looking out of the chamber window they 
saw the ministerial troops approaching and 
made haste to escape. They passed through 
Parker's Company, who were on the Com- 
mon, and heard the commanding officer 
(meaning Parker) speak to his men to this 
purpose, and I quote Revere's words exactly, 
as his quotation of Parker's : — 

"Lett the troops pass by, & don't molest 
them with out The begin first." 

He had not got half gun shot oflf when the 
troops appeared in sight. They made a short 
halt, when one gun was fired. Revere heard 
the report, turned his head, and saw the 
smoke in front of the troops, who then gave a 
great shout, ran a few paces, — and then the 
whole fired ; first irregular firing, then by pla- 
toons. 

He could not then see our militia, for they 
were covered from him by a house.* 

Testimony of Rev. Jonas Clarke. 

Rev. Jonas Clarke, pastor of the Church in 
Lexington, delivered a sermon April 19, 1776, 

♦Goss's Life of Paul Revere, page 220. 



34 BATTLE ON 

to commemorate the Commencement of Hos- 
tilities, to which he added a Narrative of the 
Principal Transactions of the Day. A valu- 
able account, but presumably mostly hearsay, 
so not appropriate for consideration here. 

I am glad to use, however, two sentences 
referring to what he actually saw: — 

"After the militia company were dispersed 
and the firing ceased, the troops drew up and 
formed in a body, on the Common, fired a vol- 
ley and gave three huzzas, by way of triumph, 
and as expressive of the joy of victory and glory 
of conquest! — ! — Of this transaction, I was a 
witness, having, at that time, a fair view of their 
motions, and being at the distance of not more 
than 70 or 80 rods from them." 

Upon the foregoing, excepting the testi- 
mony of Paul Revere and the Rev. Jonas 
Clarke, are based all of the historical accounts, 
that do but scant justice to Parker's com- 
mand. 

The grave fault lies, not so much with the 
historian and the orator, who have used that 
material, as it does with the committees that 
prepared it, and the Congress that published it. 

Fortunately for the military history of our 



LEXINGTON COMMON 



35 



town, there is a good treasury of better mate- 
rial, to which I invite your attention. 

Official Report of Lieut.-Col. F. Smith. 

The commander of the first detachment of 
the King's troops was Lieut.-Col. F. Smith. 

His official report, addressed to Governor 
Gage, dated at Boston, April 22, relates clear- 
ly his mission to proceed to Concord, and de- 
stroy the ammunition, artillery, tents, etc., 
collected there;— of the utmost expedition 
and secrecy of his march ;— of the country's in- 
telHgence and suspicion of his coming; — and 
of the signal guns and alarm bells along the 
way. 

He speaks of detaching six light companies 
ahead, to seize the two Concord bridges; and 
of their arrival at Lexington, which part I will 
quote in his own language : — 

"I understand from the report of Major Pit- 
cairn, who was with them, and from many 
officers, that they found on a green close to 
the road, a body of the country people, drawn 
up in military order, with arms and accoutre- 
ments, and, as appeared after, loaded; and 
that they had posted some men in a dwelling 
and Meeting-house. Our troops advanced to- 
wards them, without any intention of injuring 



36 BATTLB ON 

them, further than to inquire the reason of 
their being thus assembled, and if not satis- 
factory to have secured their arms ; but they 
in confusion went off, principally to the left, 
only one of them fired before he went off, and 
three or four more jumped over a wall and 
fired from behind it among the soldiers ; on 
which the troops returned it and killed several 
of them. They likewise fired on the soldiers 
from the Meeting and dwelling-houses. We 
had one man wounded and Major Pitcairn's 
horse shot in two places. Rather earlier than 
this, on the road, a countryman from behind a 
wall had snapped his piece at Lieutenants 
Aidair and vSutherland, but it flashed and did 
not go off." 

Lieut.-Col. Smith's report for the entire ex- 
pedition is equally as interesting and valuable, 
and not particularly unfair in any part of it. 

He signed it : — 

"F, Smith, Lieutenant-Colonel loth Foot." 

Major Pitcairn's Version. 

Richard Frothingham, Jr., in his History of 
the Siege of Boston, second edition, quotes 
Stiles, in his manuscript diary, as to Pitcairn's 
version of the beginning of the firing: — 



LEXINGTON COMMON 



37 



"Ezra Stiles, D.D., President of Yale College, 
in his Diary, under date of 1775, August 19— 
says: 'Major Pitcairn, who was a good man 
in a bad cause, insisted upon it, to the day of 
his death, that the colonists fired first; and 
that he commanded not to fire, and endeavored 
to stay and stop the firing after it began : but 
then he told this with such circumstances as 
convince me that he was deceived, though on 
the spot. He does not say that he saw the 
colonists fire first. Had he said it, I would 
have believed him, being a man of integrity 
and honor. He expressly says he did not see 
who fired first; and yet believed the peasants 
began. His account is this : That riding up 
to them, he ordered them to disperse; which 
they not doing instantly, he turned about to 
order his troops to draw out so as to surround 
and disarm them. As he turned, he saw a 
gun in a peasant's hand, from behind a wall, 
flash in the pan without going off; and in- 
stantly, or very soon, two or three guns went 
off, by which he found his horse wounded, 
and also a man near him wounded. These 
guns he did not see ; but believing they could 
not come from his own people, doubted not, 



•Ezra Stiles, D.D., LL.D.. graduate, tutor, president of 
Yale See Harper's Cyclopedia of U. S. History. F. W. C. 



38 BATTLE ON 

and so asserted, that they came from our 
people, and that thus they began the attack. 
The impetuosity of the king's troops was 
such, that a promiscuous, uncommanded, but 
general fire took place, which Pitcairn could 
not prevent; though he struck his staff or 
sword downwards with all earnestness, as the 
signal to forbear or cease firing.' " 

Governor Gage's Version. 

Under date of April 28, 1775, Jonathan Trum- 
bull, Governor of Connecticut, addressed a letter 
to His Excellency, Thomas Gage, in which he 
admitted he was not sure of every part of his 
information, but by the best intelligence they had, 
the late transaction was a most unprovoked at- 
tack upon the lives and property of his majesty's 
subjects. He assured him that the people of 
that Colony abhorred the idea of taking up arms 
against the troops of their sovereign, — ^but were 
most firmly resolved to defend their rights and 
privileges to the last extremity. 

He concluded, by asking if there was no way 
to prevent the unhappy dispute from coming to 
extremes ? 

Governor Gage replied from Boston under 
date of May 3, in a lengthy letter, in which he 
assured Governor Trumbull that the information 



LEXINGTON COMMON 39 

he had received as to the late excursion of the 
Troops was altogether injurious and contrary to 
the facts; and for his better information he en- 
closed a narrative of that affair taken from gen- 
tlemen of indisputable honor and veracity, who 
were eye witnesses of all the transactions of the 
day. 

The official account by Governor Gage covers 
the entire excursion, as does the report of Lt. 
Col. Smith, but I will only consider the few sen- 
tences that are applicable to Lexington Common. 

It is stated that Lt. Col. Smith first called his 
officers together, and gave orders that the troops ^ 
should not fire unless fired upon. 

After marching a few miles Major Pitcairn 
and six companies of light infantry were de- 
tached to take possession of the two bridges on 
the other side of Concord. 

Within two miles of Lexington intelligence 
was received that about 500 men in arms were 
assembled to oppose the king's troops. 

Major Pitcairn, galloping up to the head of 
the advance companies, was informed by two 
officers, that a man advanced from those that 
were assembled, presented his musket, and at- 
tempted to shoot them, but the piece flashed in 
the pan. 

When they arrived at the end of the village 



40 BATTLE ON 

they observed about two hundred armed men, 
drawn up on a green, and when the troops came 
within one hundred yards of them, they began to 
file ofif towards some stone walls on their right 
flank. 

The light infantry, observing this, ran after 
them. 

The Major instantly called to the soldiers not 
to fire, but to surround and disarm them. Some 
who had jumped over the walh fired four or five 
shots at the troops, wounded a man of the loth 
Regiment, and the Major's horse in two places, 
and at the same time several shots were fired 
from a meeting house on the left. Then, with- 
out order or regularity, the light infantry began 
a scattered fire, and killed several of the country 
people, but were silenced as soon as the author- 
ity of their officers could make them. 

The account concludes with this sentence : — 

"Thus this unfortunate afifair has happened 
through the rashness and imprudence of a few 
people, who began firing on the troops at Lex- 
ington."* 

Ensign De Bernicre's Version. 

Early in the year Gen. Gage had sent Ensign 
De Bernicre on a spying expedition for the 



♦Journals of Each ProTincial Congress, pages 180 and 679. 



LEXINGTON COMMON 41 

purpose of discovering the location and 
amount of military stores in and around Con- 
cord and other places. 

He accompanied the troops on their expedi- 
tion as guide, and has left an interesting account 
of his experiences and observations on that 
day. 

I will quote that part which tells of Lexington 
Common : 

"The troops received no interruption in their 
march until they arrived at Lexington, a town 
eleven miles from Boston, where there were 
about 150 rebels drawn out in divisions, with 
intervals as wide as the front of the divisions ; 
the light infantry who marched in front halted, 
and Major Pitcairn came up immediately and 
cried out to the rebels to throw down their arms 
and disperse, which they did not do; he called 
out a second time but to no purpose ; upon 
which he ordered our light infantry to advance 
and disarm them, which they were doing, when 
one of the rebels fired a shot, our soldiers re- 
turned the fire and killed about fourteen of 
them; there was only one of the loth light in- 
fantry received a shot through his leg; some 
of them got into the church and fired from 
it, and were soon drove out. We then continued 
our march to Concord." 



42 BATTLE ON 

A British Officer's Version. 

The Diary of a British Officer in Boston in 
1775 was published in the Atlantic Monthly in 
April and May, 1877. I^ was furnished by R. 
H. Dana, Jr., who, in an editorial introduction, 
confessed that he did not know who was the 
author, but careful investigation had resulted in 
determining that it was either Lieut. Peregrine 
Francis Thorne, or Lieut. David Hamilton, both 
in the King's Own Regiment.* 

The writer of the Diary was in the expedition 
to Lexington, and speaks of reaching there at 
5 o'clock, where he, to quote his own words: — 
"saw a number of People, I believe between 
2 and 300, formed in a Common in the middle 
of the Town ; we still continued advancing, 
keeping prepared against an attack, the' with- 
out intending to attack them ; but on our coming 
near them they fired one or two shots, upon 
which our Men without any orders rushed in 
upon them, fired and put 'em to flight; several 
of them were killed, we cou'd not tell how 
many, because they were got behind Walls and 
into the Woods. We had a Man of the loth 
light Infantry wounded, nobody else hurt. 



•The editor ofl the new edition of Hudson's History of 
Lexington names him Lieutenant Barker. Vol. I, page 
155. 



LEXINGTON COMMON 43 

We then formed on the Common, but with some 
difficulty, the Men were so wild they cou'd 
hear no orders ; we waited a considerable time 
there, and at length proceeded on our way to 
Concord." 

Statement by the Third Provincial Congress. 

The Third Provincial Congress opened at 
Watertown, May 31. 

On June 16, less than two months after the 
battle, and but twenty-two days after the pub- 
lication of the Narrative and Depositions, it 
issued a Proclamation to the People. 

It contained no claim of loyalty to the King, 
for it was intended more particularly for Ameri- 
can readers^ a great majority of whom would 
not care to be longer classed as loyalists. It did 
not quite advocate colonial independence, — but 
love of the mother country was not professed. 

Speaking of the scene on Lexington Common, 
it recited how eight men had been cruelly mur- 
dered, and then continued, — and I quote the 
exact language: — 

"The fire was returned by some of the sur- 
vivors, but their number was too inconsiderable 
to annoy the regular troops." * * * 

And a little further along it reads : — 

"This action of the troops destroyed every 



44 BATTLE ON 

hope of coming to any accommodation with 
them." 

Thus it was officially recognized, by the 
highest civil authority, that out of Parker's 
sixty or seventy men, there were indeed some 
who had the courage to return the fire of Pit- 
cairn's four hundred, a statement the previous 
Congress lacked the courage to express. 

Testimony of Levi Harrington, 

Daniel Harrington was the Clerk of Parker's 
Company, and stood in line on the Common that 
morning. 

His son, Levi Harrington, then a youth in 
his fifteenth year, was a spectator of that thrill- 
ing scene. He lived until 1846, and a few 
months before his death gave to his son, Bowen 
Harrington, his recollections of the action. 

That manuscript is now in the possession of 
some of his descendants, and I have been per- 
mitted to copy it. 

He speaks of the mortal wounding of Jonas 
Parker by a ball passing through his body, and 
tells how he had placed his hat and ammunition 
on the ground between his feet, and fired at the 
British as they approached ; how it exhausted 
the little remaining strength he had, and so he 



LEXINGTON COMMON 45 

sank upon his knees. While in that position 
Parker attempted to load and fire again, but 
the Grenadiers reached him and put an end tQ 
his life with their bayonets. 

Levi Harrington died in his 86th year. Had 
he lived to be a hundred, I doubt if that scene 
would have slipped from his memory. 

Depositions Taken for the History of the 
Battle by Elias Phinney. 

On Dec. 13, 1824, the Town of Lexington 
appointed a committee to collect and publish 
any reliable data as to the battle that might be 
found. 

That committee consisted of nine members, 
and included Elias Phinney, who acted as the 
historian. 

His book was first published in 1825. 

Among the valuable facts which they as- 
sembled were the depositions of ten men, eight 
of whom were of Captain Parker's Company, 
and six of those were in line on that April morn- 
ing. The others were spectators, or on the field 
during the day. 

Those depositions were taken in 1824 and 
1825, about fifty years after the battle; there- 
fore the deponents had grown into old age. 



46 BATTLE ON 

As we look over that list of names, contain- 
ing as it does some of the most substantial in 
the Revolutionary history of our town, I hardly 
think we shall be justified in questioning their 
memory or their mentality. 

When one who has reached his three score 
years and ten can look back to his early youth 
— to some particular day, — to some particular 
hour, — to some particular moment, — when he 
stood before a line of blazing muskets, aimed to 
kill, — aimed to kill him, — such a scene can never 
be effaced from his memory. 

He may forget trivial events of a dozen years 
ago, or even of yesterday; but he will ever re- 
member the wounded and bleeding companion 
at his side, — the slain one at his feet ! 

Deposition of James Reed. 

Of those ten depositions, that of James Reed, 
Jan. 19, 1825, is of the least value to us in the 
present consideration, for he tells only of the 
British prisoners captured soon after the regu- 
lars had left for Concord. 

Deposition of Abijah Harrington. 

Abijah Harrington, on April 4, 1825, swore 
that he heard the firing in the morning, and that 



LEXINGTON COMMON 



47 



soon after the troops left he went up to the 
meeting house, and to the spot where they stood 
when they fired on our men, and that he dis- 
tinctly saw blood on the ground, which was a 
little descending, and that it had run along the 
road six or eight feet. He also swore that a 
day or two after, he was talking with Solomon 
Brown of the blood he had seen in the road, 
and that Brown told him it was where the regu- 
lars stood when he fired at them, and he must 
have hit some of them. 

Harrington was then between fourteen and 
fifteen years of age. 

Deposition of Amos Lock. 

Amos Lock swore, on Dec. 29, 1824, that he 
and Ebenezer Lock responded to the ringing of 
the bell, and on reaching the meeting house 
found the mihtia collecting. Shortly after, some 
person came up the road and reported that no 
regulars were coming, so they concluded to re- 
turn to their families. 

They had not proceeded far before they heard 
firing, and immediately returned. 

Under cover of a wall they found Porter, 
about twenty rods from where the British then 
were, shot through the body, upon which 
Ebenezer Lock took aim and fired at the British. 



48 BATTLE ON 

Deposition of Elijah Sanderson. 

Elijah Sanderson's deposition of April 25, 
1775, was used by the Provincial Congress, and, 
of course, contained nothing as to the heroism 
of Captain Parker's men. 

However, he was induced to try again, in a 
very much more detailed statement, on Dec. 17, 
1824. 

He belonged to Parker's Company, and had 
taken his place in line when the Captain ordered 
them to fall in. 

Having no musket he realized he was of no 
use, and when the British were in full sight, 
left the line and stood as a spectator, about two 
rods away. 

He saw the British commander ride up in 
advance, and heard his order to Parker's men 
to disperse, and then the order to fire, follow- 
ing- it by firing his own pistol. 

Sanderson looked for the effect, but saw no 
one fall, and thought the regulars could not be 
firing balls, so he did not move oflF. 

After Parker's men had gone he saw the 
troops firing at one man, Solomon Brown. Then 
he knew they were firing balls, for he saw the 
wall behind which Brown stood smoke from 
the bullets hitting it. 



LEXINGTON COMMON 49 

The wall saved Brown, who "legged it," as 
Sanderson expressed it, just about the time 
that he did. 

Sanderson returned after the British had 
gone, and saw blood in the road where they 
stood. 

He assisted in carrying the dead into the 
meeting house. 

Deposition of William Tidd. 

William Tidd, Lieutenant in Parker's Com- 
pany, was in line on that morning. 

Bear in mind Tidd's deposition of April 25, 
1775, in which he joined with thirty-three 
others, to the effect that while some of Parker's 
Company had reached the parade, others were 
coming up ; and while their backs were turned 
the troops fired. 

Tidd, at that time, tried to believe himself a 
loyal subject of King George. 

After the Revolution, which commenced on 
that April morning, had cancelled his allegiance, 
he felt free to amplify his first version of the 
affair. 

On Dec. 29, 1824, he swore that he heard 
one of the British officers say: — 

"Lay down your arms and disperse, ye 
rebels !" 



50 BATTLE ON 

Then they fired. Tidd retreated up the north 
road, our present Hancock Street, pursued by 
an officer on horseback, calling on him to stop 
or he was a dead man. 

Tidd sprang over a pair of bars, made a 
stand, and fired at his pursuer, who in turn made 
his escape. 

That statement, that he tried to kill one of 
the King's officers, would not have sounded very 
loyal in 1775. 

Deposition of Joseph Underwood. 

Joseph Underwood, one of Parker's Com- 
pany, swore, on March 7, 1825, that some of 
the men, on seeing the British approach, pro- 
posed to quit the field, but Captain Parker gave 
orders for every man to stand his ground, and 
said he would order the first man shot who 
offered to leave his post. 

Underwood swore that he was confident that 
Parker did not order his men to disperse till 
the British troops had fired the second time. 

His testimony was not taken in 1775. 

Deposition of John Munroe. 

Corporal John Munroe's deposition was taken 
Dec. 28, 1824. He swore that he was alarmed 
about 2 o'clock, — that he immediately repaired 



LEXINGTON COMMON 51 

to the Common^ and that Captain Parker 
ordered the roll called, and every man to load 
his gun with powder and ball. The men were 
then dismissed and ordered to remain within 
call of the drum. 

About daybreak the drum beat, and Munroe 
took his station on the right. While the Com- 
pany was collecting, Parker, then on the left, 
gave orders for every man to stand his ground 
until he should order them to leave. While 
the drum was still beating to arms the British 
appeared within ten or twelve rods of our line, 
and continued until within about eight rods. 

An officer on horseback (whom Munroe 
erroneously thought to be Lieut. -Col. Smith), 
rode to the front and ordered our men to lay 
down their arms and disperse, and called them 
rebels. 

Finding Parker's men kept their ground, he 
ordered his troops to fire. That order, not being 
immediately obeyed, he repeated it with an 
oath, when the front platoon did fire. Another 
order was given and then a general discharge 
from the front ranks. 

After the first fire Corporal Munroe thought, 
and so stated to Ebenezer Munroe, Jr., who 
stood next to him on the left, that they had 
fired nothing but powder. 



52 BATTLE ON 

After the second volley Ebenezer Munroe, 
Jr., answered that it was more than powder, for 
he had received a wound in his arm, and that 
he would give them the guts of his gun. 

Corporal John Munroe continued his state- 
ment by saying that then they both fired, aiming 
at the main body, the smoke preventing them 
from seeing anything more than the heads of 
some of their horses. 

That statement as to smoke shows conclu- 
sively how soon after the volley fire was the 
Munroe return. 

After the second fire Corporal John Munroe 
distinctly saw Jonas Parker struggling on the 
ground, with his gun in his hand, apparently 
attempting to load it. While in that situation 
the British came up and ran him through with 
the bayonet and killed him on the spot. 

After firing the first time Munroe retreated 
about ten rods, loaded his gun a second time 
with two balls, fired at the British, and lost 
about a foot oft" the end of his gun barrel be- 
cause of the extra heavy charge. 

He also testified that he was confident other 
members of Parker's Company than himself and 
Ebenezer Munroe fired on the British. The 
regulars kept up their fire as long as any of 
Parker's men were in sight. 



LEXINGTON COMMON 53 

Isaac Muzzey, Jonathan Harrington, Robert 
Munroe, father of Corporal John^ were killed 
near where the line was formed ; Samuel Had- 
ley and John Brown, after they had left the 
Common ; Asahel Porter, the prisoner who at- 
tempted to escape, a few rods away ; and Caleb 
Harrington as he was attempting to leave the 
meeting house, where he and others had gone 
before the British came up, for the purpose of 
removing the powder stored there. 

Deposition of Ebeneizer Munroe. 

Ebenezer Munroe swore, on April 2, 1825, 
that Parker ordered his men to stand their 
ground and not to molest the regulars unless 
they meddled with them. 

Hte spoke of the commanding British officer 
ordering them to disperse, and of his firing his 
pistol, and of the volley from the front rank. 

After the first volley he received the wound 
in his arm, and as he turned to run discharged 
his own gun into the main body. As he fired, 
his face being towards them, a ball cut ofif part 
of one of his earlocks, and another passed be- 
tween his arm and his body, marking his clothes. 

As they were retreating one of the Company, 
Benjamin Sampson, he believed, who was run- 
ning with him, turned and fired his piece. 



54 BATTLE ON 

"I am confident that it was the determination 
of most of our company, in case they were fired 
upon, to return the fire." 

Ebenezer Munroe did not hear Captain 
Parker's order to disperse. 

He believed at the time that some of their 
shots took efifect, and was confirmed in that 
opinion by the observations of some prisoners 
taken in the afternoon, who stated that one of 
their soldiers was wounded in the thigh,, and 
that another received a shot through the hand. 

Depositon of Nathan Munroe. 

Nathan Munroe's deposition was taken Dec. 
22, 1824, and was to the effiect that he was 
enrolled in Parker's Company, and knowing 
several British soldiers had gone up the road 
toward Concord, on the morning of April 18, 
he and Benjamin Tidd, at the request of Captain 
Parker, went to Bedford, and thence to 
Meriam's Corner, in Concord, to alarm the in- 
habitants of those towns. 

When they returned to Lexington Common 
the alarm bell was ringing and the Company 
collecting. 

He immediately got his arms and went to the 
parade, and heard Captain Parker's order to 
load, but not to fire unless they were fired upon. 



LEXINGTON COMMON 55 

About 5 o'clock the British appeared at the 
east end of the meeting house, near where our 
men were, and commenced firing on us. 

Munroe got over the wall into Buckman's 
land and fired at them. 

About the middle of the forenoon Captain 
Parker collected part of his Company and 
marched them towards Concord, and Nathan 
was one of them. 

They met the regulars about noon in the 
bounds of Lincoln, retreating towards Boston, 
and fired on them continuously until they met 
their reinforcements in Lexington. 

Deposition of Orderly Sergeant William 
Munroe. 

Orderly Sergeant William Munroe's depo- 
sition was taken March 7, 1825. 

At the time of the battle he was the landlord 
of Munroe Tavern. 

Sergeant Munroe made oath that he was in- 
formed early in the evening of April 18 by 
Solomon Brown that he had seen nine British 
officers coming leisurely up the road from 
Boston, and as the wind occasionally blew their 
top coats aside he could see that they were 
armed. 



56 BATTLE ON 

Sergeant Munroe, fearing they intended to 
capture Hancock and Adams, assembled a guard 
of eight men, and proceeded to the home of Rev. 
Mr. Clarke, where they were stopping. 

About midnight Revere rode up and gave the 
alarm. 

Later Munroe conducted them to the north 
part of the town, and then returned to the Com- 
mon, where he arrived about 2 o'clock. 

Captain Parker and his Company were 
paraded on the Common, a little in the rear of 
the meeting house. 

A messenger returned from towards Boston 
and reported that he could not learn there were 
any troops on the road from Boston. Parker 
then dismissed his men, with orders to assemble 
at the beat of the drum. 

About daylight Captain Thaddeus Bowman 
rode up and gave the information that the regu- 
lars were near. The drum was ordered to be 
beat, and Munroe was commanded by Parker 
to parade the Company in two ranks, which he 
did, a few rods northerly from the meeting 
house. 

The British came up, almost on the run. 
Major Pitcairn and another officer, whom Mun- 
roe erroneously called Col. Smith, rode up some 
rods in advance of their troops, and within a 



LEXINGTON COMMON 57 

few rods of Parker's Company. One gave the 
order to "lay down your arms, you rebels, and 
disperse !" and immediately fired his pistol. 
After a moment's conversation with the other 
officer Pitcairn advanced to within four rods, 
and bringing down his sword with great force, 
and with an oath, gave the order to fire. 

The front platoon of eight or nine men fired, 
but none of our men were killed or wounded. 
They immediately gave a second fire, when our 
Company began to retreat. As Munroe left the 
field he saw a person firing at the British from 
Buckman's back door, which was near his left. 
He was afterwards told that the same person, 
after firing from the back door, went to the 
front door and fired from there. 

"How many of our Company fired before 
they retreated I cannot say; but I am confident 
some of them did." 

He testified to having seen Jonas Parker 
standing in the ranks, with his balls and flints 
in his hat on the ground between his feet, and 
heard him declare that he would never run. 

He was shot down at the second fire, and 
when Munroe left he saw him struggling on the 
ground, attempting to load his gun, which he 
had, no doubt, discharged at the British. 



68 BATTLE ON 

As he lay on the ground they run him through 
with the bayonet. 

Munroe concluded his rather lengthy and very 
interesting deposition by reciting how the British 
dressed their wounded at his Tavern, which he 
had left in care of a lame man by the name of 
Raymond, who supplied them with whatever the 
house afforded. 

Afterwards, when Raymond was leaving, the 
regulars shot him, and he was found dead within, 
a few rods of the house. 

Of those ten deponents there were but two 
who gave their testimony to the Provincial Con- 
gress, Sanderson and Tidd. 

The other eight, if solicited, refused to 
comply. 

I have given a candid and complete summary 
of all of the official reports, and of all of the 
sworn statements of participants and eyewit- 
nesses that I have ever found, so far as they 
apply to Lexington Common. 

They do not agree with each other, never- 
theless it is easy to arrive at this conclusion, 
that the first armed resistance to the British 
invasion was on Lexington Common. 

As so many historians have only used the 
Narrative and Depositions of the Provincial 



LEXINGTON COMMON 59 

Congress it seems to me that it would be a de- 
sirable work for the Lexington Historical 
Society to publish it in full, or at least an 
analysis of that material, and place in opposition 
to it, equally as full, all of the other material 
that I have submitted. 

There need be no fear of the result. 

Not only publish it, but publish it thoroughly 
and world wide ; not in thin pamphlet form, 
with perishable paper covers, but as a real book, 
in sturdy binding, thick enough to carry a golden 
title on its back, thick enough to stand alone on 
the library shelf. 

Such a book has never been printed. In the 
interest of truth such a one is really needed. 

For more than seven score years that scene 
has been misrepresented. By little efifort, and 
by little expense, we can make available, in con- 
venient and compact form, all of the original 
material. 

We fondly cherish the names of those who 
were slain. 

Let us also remember the names of those who 
fired back, and so changed a massacre into a 
battle; and so gave to Lexington a place in the 
world's history. 



€0 BATTLE ON LEXINGTON COMMON 

Possibly some day a modest tablet in bronze 
may spell them out : 

SOLOMON BROWN, 
EBENEZER LOCK, 
EBENEZER MUNROE, JR., 
CORPORAL JOHN MUNROE, 
NATHAN MUNROE, 
JONAS PARKER, 
LIEUTENANT WILLIAM TIDD, 

AND POSSIBLY 

BENJAMIN SAMPSON. 

When we stand on that hallowed ground let 
the world stand with us, — not to view a field 
where martyrs were slain, but to look upon the 
battle ground where our soldier heroes dared to 
fight, — and dared to die! 



By thb Samx] Atjthor 

The MOST COMPLETE Account Ever Published. 



THE BATTLE OF APRIL 19, 1775, 

In HiHxrNrGTON, Concord, Lincoln, ARLrNGTON. 
Cambridge, Sommrvillk and Charlhstown 

8vo, blue cloth, size S^xSj in.V 187 pages, 13 portraits, battle scenes 
and maps. 

PRICE. NET, PREPAID, $1.25 



Also a Special Edition limited to 160 Numbered 
Copies, including the regular edition as above, to which are 
added all the known 

American Muster Rolls. 

This special edition is printed on deckled edged paper, 
bound in blue cloth, gilt top, untrimmed front and bottom 
edges, size 6x8^ inches, 265 pages. ' 

PRICE, NET. PREPAID, $3.25 



Engaged in the battle were 
24 To^vns, which sent 
74 Companies, numbering nearly 
3800 Men. 



e Rolls of 



In this SPECIAL EDITION are the 

68 Companies, comprising over 

3600 Americans, who were actually in the battle, 
arranged by companies, and under the ^ towns which 
sent them. \ 

Invaluable for Reference, and especially li^eful to the 
Genealogist and Family Historiai;}. 



FRANK WARREN COBURN, 

31 Percy Road, Lexingtoi^ Mass. 







LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




003 396 16131 



